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Three recent machines :- HHM and NTT + horizontal platforms and Light drawing rig.
Machine 2 latest machines
During fifty years I have designed and built more than fifty drawing machines and timer/programmers, not including light pens. Many digital images were made on a 1969 Hewlett Packhard calculator/plotter until it ceased to function. Not all machines still exist, as this number includes various stages of development and machines which were dismantled.
The collection is in three categories; early machines including rejects, the Science Museum set as presented for my PhD and on this page most recent machines.
The most significant modification has been to add a horizontal platform to the HHM and NTT machines whilst other machines undergo regular updates to conform to the latest preoccupation with 'near chaos' research.
Hommage to Henry machine with horizontal platform.
NTT (new turntale) machine with horizontal platform
Light Rig with swinging camera and sun and planet X and Y axes
The Hommage to Henry machine now has an horizontal platform designed as an alternative part to the elliptical table. This has meant a redesign of the previous version, making the X:Y unit separate from the elliptical table and in addition adding a sun and planet drive to the Y axis . Before this was only present on the X axis. This modification increases the variety of drawings. The horizontal platforms change the character of the drawing .
The NTT was designed and built as an alternative to the HHM machine specifically to investigate 'near chaos' images. It has its own horizontal platform as the HHM draws much larger images. The X and Y axes are both sun and planet driven but the linkages moving the pen significantly alter the character of the fundamental drawing shapes.
Three light pens are shown with stands ajusted to line up with the camera lens. The camera is a Canon 5D with either a 35mm or 50 mm lens and the images are shot at 200 ISO at f8 or f11.
The exposures vary between one and three minutes and the room only needs to be darkened, but not necessarily to the extent of a vintage film darkroom level.
The Light Rig was designed to draw with light pens but instead of moving them the camera was swung on two axes driven by sun and planet cranks. This makes it easier place a variety of pen before the camera. In addition the camera platform has a high speed shutter unit in front of the lens.
This is the programmer is used to control the camera movements on the Light Rig. It is also used to control the NSEW machine. The light pens are switched on independently and the shutter is eiher on or off.
CLICK ON TOP THREE MACHINE IMAGES TO SEE THE NEAR CHAOS DRAWINGS